YOUNGSTOWN Charter school suit settled

A lawsuit had challenged the South Side school's right to operate.
By RON COLE
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- That big sigh of relief you hear on the city's South Side is coming from Legacy Academy charter school.
The school's founder, Bishop Norman Wagner, conducted a news conference to claim victory over a lawsuit settlement that solidifies the school's future, at least for the rest of this academic year.
"Legacy prevails," Bishop Wagner, pastor of Mount Calvary Pentecostal Church, said Wednesday from one of the school's classrooms.
Jubilant: A group of pupils stood nearby holding up letters spelling "We Win!"
"It's a relief," said Rob Soccorsi, a ninth- and 10th-grade history teacher. "I think most people around here believed everything was going to be fine."
Steve Burigana, executive director of the Office of Community Schools for the Ohio Department of Education, said he is happy with the agreement.
"We are pleased to have reached a resolution that we believe is fair to all parties and does not disrupt the school year for the children and their families," he said.
"The kids are our first concern."
The state education department, Legacy, the Youngstown Board of Education and Lucas County Educational Service Center have agreed to settle a lawsuit that questioned Legacy's legality to operate as a charter school.
The settlement allows Legacy, which has 197 pupils, to continue to operate through the end of this school year and restores full funding from the state.
The agreement, approved by the city school board Tuesday, also requires Legacy to get another sponsor for next year. Wagner said that shouldn't be a problem. "We've already been contacted" by interested sponsors, he said.
The settlement also means Legacy pupils will get full educational credit for this school year.
Contract OK'd: Last summer, the Lucas County ESC in Toledo approved a charter school contract for Legacy to operate a school for children in kindergarten through 10th grade at Bishop Wagner's church.
In December, the city school board filed a lawsuit contending Lucas County ESC cannot sponsor a charter school outside Lucas County. State education leaders agreed and withheld funds from Legacy. Legacy countersued.
Although Lucas County ESC will be allowed to continue sponsoring Legacy this school year, the settlement says the ESC will not sponsor any other charter schools outside Lucas County unless state law is changed authorizing such sponsorship.
Charter schools are privately operated, yet publicly funded, schools that do not charge tuition and receive about $5,000 per pupil annually in state and local funds. There are five charter schools in Youngstown.
Brigitte Brantley, a third-grade teacher, said Legacy teachers and staff were confident the school would remain open.
"I never doubted that it would be here," she said. "Just to get the word, though, it does reduce a lot of stress."